


Nailmasters and Vessels (Old/Original): What Ifs and AUs

by Ausomerus



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Original Character Death(s), Suicidal Thoughts, Trauma, pale king is not a good father, will add more characters as they appear - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-01-13 08:30:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21241190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ausomerus/pseuds/Ausomerus
Summary: Just a bunch of AUs and what ifs I think of while working on my fanfic "Nailmasters and Vessels".





	1. Pale King Visits Mato and Crystal

Mato heard a loud knock at the door. He wondered who it could be, Oro never knocked that loud. _Maybe he was worried about something?_ Mato reached towards the door, opening it. He was met with shimmering white robes. He looked up, recognizing the face of the Pale King. He heard the patter of Crystal's feet, before she suddenly stopped. He knew why she stopped. He heard her voice in his head, the fear evident in her voice.

"Dad, I don't want to die." He heard the Pale King speak.

"You're taking care of that failure of a vessel? They don't have any emotions, at least they're not supposed to. You can see why it's a failure, right? It feels, it thinks, it talks. It'll doom us all." He heard Crystal crying, so he turned around to comfort her. He heard the Pale King speak again. "Give the failure here, so I can discard it. I'll make sure it's discarded for good." He felt Crystal clinging to him, her voice filled with fear.

"Dad, please don't let him take me! I don't want to die!" Mato spoke to his child, trying to comfort her.

"I won't let him get you. It'll be okay, Crystal. You aren't going anywhere." He turned to face the Pale King, nail grasped in his hand. He heard the Pale King mutter something under his breath, but it was too unclear for him to hear exactly what he said. He watched as the Pale King summoned many spears made out of soul. The spears flew at him, pining him to the wall, knocking his nail out of his hand.

He watched as the Pale King walked closer to Crystal. He screamed.

"Crystal, run!" Crystal turned around to run away. Mato watched as the Pale King summoned another soul spear. He watched in horror as the Pale King threw the spear at Crystal. He screamed as the spear went through her back and out through her chest. He heard her mentally scream in pain, void running out of the wound, to the tip of the spear, and onto the floor. It pooled around her. He watched as the Pale King summoned another spear, aiming it at her head. He heard Crystal in his head as the spear flew towards her.

"I love you, Dad." Mato felt tears run down his cheeks. He heard them as they hit the floor. He watched as the Pale King grabbed her now broken mask and left. He let out a sob as he watched his daughter's 'father' leave.


	2. AU: Mato Vs. Nosk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That fight between Mato and Nosk in Chapter 10, but it ends how I originally wanted it to (except the end part).

Mato felt Nosk’s sharp legs stab into his exoskeleton. He tried to hit Nosk, but missed as it jumped into the air. He let out a scream as Nosk landed on him, it’s sharp legs once again stabbing into his exoskeleton. It left him alone in the room. Mato struggled, trying to stand up. He fell to the ground.

  
Oro had finished taking Crystal and Elisha to the Mask Maker. He hoped his brother was fine, but what he had said worried him. He rushed back to the tunnel, Crystal and Elisha in tow. He ran into the room, seeing Mato standing in the center of the room. He was immediately suspicious. He still had gashes from the fight in his exoskeleton. Oro noticed Crystal run to Mato, clinging onto his cape, tugging it. He heard her speak in his mind.

  
“Dad! You’re okay!” He continued staring forward. Crystal tilted her head. “Dad?” Crystal felt immense pain in her abdomen. She looked down, tears falling from her face. She heard Oro scream as Mato pulled the nail from her abdomen. She fell to the ground, Oro running over to her. He picked her up, cradling her to his chest. She got a good look at the ceiling. Tears fell from her face, seeing Mato tangled up in string. She spoke, knowing it was futile.

  
“Dad, I’m sorry.” Her eyes closed, unable to fight it anymore. As she fell into unconsciousness, she felt tears fall onto her mask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy...


	3. What If: Infected Crystal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal gets infected.

Crystal saw a bright yellowish orange light in front of her. She heard someone speak. It sounded feminine. She felt safe upon hearing the voice.

"Child, you are hurting. Let me take the pain away. You'll never feel pain ever again. You'll become perfect." Crystal listened to the voice, becoming happy when it said she'd be perfect. _That means Father will like me._ Orange flooded her vision, before receding to the edges of her vision. The feeling of not being perfect enough diminished greatly, until she couldn't feel it anymore. She heard a shift in the voice when it spoke again.

"Foolish child. Pain is part of life. You have no clue what you just traded to be 'perfect'." Crystal woke up after the voice finished speaking. She saw Mato sleeping across the room from her, breathing steadily. She heard him wake up. He glanced over to her, a mixture of worry and fear in his eyes. She saw tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Crystal. I should have been more careful. I should have told you about it. About _her_." She was confused, before being startled by the voice from her dream. Her body showed no signs of being startled, however.

"Kill the Nailmaster. He'll try to stop us. He'll only get in the way." Crystal was scared. _She wanted her to kill her dad? She couldn't!_ The voice didn't care, controlling her body like a puppet. 'Crystal' advanced towards Mato, grabbing a nail from nearby. Crystal screamed inside her mind, unknowing that Mato could hear everything.

"I don't want this! Don't hurt him, please! Please, I don't want to be perfect anymore!" Her grip on Crystal's body loosened as she tried to get Crystal to be quiet, noticing Mato react to Crystal's pleas. Crystal seized the opportunity, grabbing the nail in her hands. Mato looked horrified as she turned the nail around, pointing it at herself. She looked at Mato. She projected thoughts to him.

"I'm sorry, Dad. Look after Elisha for me. Make sure this doesn't happen to him, please." He screamed, tears running down his face, as she thrust the nail into her abdomen. The shirt she was wearing tore as she pulled the nail out, then thrust it back into her abdomen. Void leaked out of the injury, spilling onto the floor. Tears fell from her face as she fell to the ground. She heard the voice scream in protest at her actions. Crystal responded.

"I'm not letting you hurt my dad. _Ever._"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This hurt to write. Why are all of these angst or hurt and no comfort?


	4. What If:  Grown up, but the trauma's still there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: Suicidal ideation. If you are in a dark place, please talk to someone.

Mato awoke to the sound of crying. He rushed into the living room. He could make out the outline of Crystal thanks to the lumafly lantern that was next to her bed. She was sitting upright in her bed, her hands digging into her arms. Mato sat on her bed next to her. He silently offered her a hug. She hugged him as if he would disappear in the next second. Mato wrapped his arms around her. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to help her.

Crystal held onto Mato like he was a lifeline. Salty tears fell onto the bed. Crystal felt Mato rubbing circles into her back. She heard him humming her a song that was sometimes interrupted by a silent sob. It barely lessened the pain inside her, it threatening to swallow her whole. She screamed, the light glistening off of her tears.

“Why wasn’t I good enough? I deserved it! I deserved being thrown away! I just had to be perfect! You should just throw me back into the Abyss! I deserve it! I should just go back and jump! Maybe everyone would be happier…”

She felt Mato hug her tighter. He hated seeing his kid in so much pain. He heard quiet footsteps. Ghost sat on the bed next to him. Ghost hugged Crystal gently. Ghost spoke.

“Are you okay?” Crystal nodded. Ghost spoke again.

“You’re lying. I heard what you said. You don’t deserve it. Nobody did. Nobody does.” Ghost paused for a moment. He spoke.

“Except our biological dad. He deserves it.”


End file.
